The invention herein pertains to coolers for beverage bottles and particularly pertains to portable drink coolers which utilize ice as a refrigerant.
Portable drink coolers are commonly used to maintain soft drinks and other beverages, food and the like at refrigerated temperatures. Such coolers require ice in a standard form such as cubes and are generally sized to contain six or more 12 ounce beverage cans or several one to two liter beverage bottles with a sufficient quantity of ice. These coolers usually employ pivotable handles and removable lids to completely enclose the beverage containers during transportation and storage. While such coolers are often formed of light weight plastics, when filled they are often heavy, cumbersome and can occupy a relatively large space. In use the lid must generally be opened or removed for the bottle to be removed and the contents poured. Upon bottle removal, the bottles are usually wet and often need to be wiped and dried before handling. Opening and closing the cooler causes the refrigerant to be lost or sometimes spilled which lessens the ability of the refrigerant to properly cool the beverage container.
Thus with the known problems and deficiencies of prior portable beverage coolers and carriers, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide a carrier/cooler for a single, standard beverage bottle which is light in weight and which is easy to transport, lift, use and store.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a beverage carrier/cooler which can be easily opened, loaded with a beverage bottle and ice, and thereafter closed to seal the beverage bottle and ice therein.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a carrier/cooler which is formed from a lightweight plastic which will remain closed while the beverage is dispensed.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a carrier/cooler having a pair of finger detents along the sidewalls for gripping and internally for quick and accurate alignment of the beverage container centrally during insertion.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a lid for the carrier/cooler body which is threadably received thereon.
It is also another objective of the present invention to provide a flexible handle for the carrier/cooler which is affixed to the lid and which can be fully extended for manual transportation or lowered for packaging and shipping purposes.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a flexible seal for the carrier/cooler which is releasably affixed to the lid for engaging the neck of the beverage bottle to prevent refrigerant liquid contained within the carrier from spilling, for example as the beverage is dispensed.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.
A carrier/cooler for a conventional single beverage bottle is provided for convenience and ease in storage, use and transportation. The carrier/cooler includes a body formed from a conventional plastic such as K-resin as manufactured by Phillips Petroleum of Bartlesville, Okla. Although other suitable materials maybe used such as PVC, PET or polycarbonate. A flexible seal formed from an elastomeric material is attached to the lid and a flexible polyethylene or a similar plastic handle is likewise affixed. The lid may also be formed from polypropylene although other suitable polymeric or other materials may be used.
The cylindrical body of the carrier/cooler includes sidewalls joined to a bottom as by integrally blow molding or other standard forming techniques. The threaded lid, also molded from plastic is releasably joined to the exterior threads on the top of the body sidewalls to enclose a beverage bottle and a refrigerant such as ice therewithin. The seal lid and handle may each be formed by injection molding for cost effective manufacturing. One or more internal, upward projections are positioned in a circle along the bottom which engage the bottom of the bottle and in cooperation with the detents in the sidewalls, stabilize and center the bottle during loading and maintain uniform space between the sidewalls and the beverage bottle for ice or other refrigerants. A flexible seal having a large central opening is affixed to the central lid opening. Whereby the lid is then threadably joined to the body proximate the neck of the beverage bottle. The seal engages the bottle neck or shoulder as the lid is tightened onto the body and prevents any spillage of refrigerant should the carrier/cooler be tipped over, such as during pouring from the beverage bottle. The pair of finger detents in the sidewalls of the body also serve as finger grips to allow the carrier/cooler to be securely held for pouring and handling. In addition to the two finger detents in the body, a smaller, conical detent along the inner circumference of the body acts as a third point to stabilize the bottle radially, whereas the lid seal and bottom projections stabilize the bottle longitudinally or axially therewithin. The handle which is affixed to the lid is designed to allow the carrier/cooler to be easily carried, or it can be held by one hand to act as a fulcrum while a beverage is dispensed from the bottle.